Spinning apparatus.



PATENTBD NOV. 15, 1904.

G. 0. DRAPER. SPINNING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATE NTED NOV. 15, 1904.

G. O. DRAPBR.

SPINNING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

K0 MODEL.

7 I v M 4 4 4 Ililjlju IIHIIIIHIIIIIIH I I UNITED STATES PatentedNovember 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPERCOMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MAINE.

SPINNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,744, dated November15, 1904. Application filed January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187,532. Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be itknown that I, GEORGE OTIs DRAPER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of H opedale, county of WVorcester, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Spinning Apparatus, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention relates to spinning apparatus of the type wherein therings upon which the travelers move are revolved by or through an agencyindependent of the pull or drag of the yarn transmitted through thetraveler.

In my present invention I have provided a combined spindle and ringdriving mechanism for every two spindles and their rings, such drivingmechanism comprising a driving-shaft having secured to it a ring-drivinggear and a spindle-driving gear mounted to rotate with the shaft, butpermitting the latter to slide longitudinally therethrough, the

spindle-driving gear meshing with a gear on the spindle, while thering-driving gear cooperates with a suitable gear secured to or formingpart of a ring-holder. The ringholder is vertically supported. by meansof a segmental fixedly-mounted bearing and by the cooperation of thedriving and driven gears, the former in the present embodiment of myinvention being peculiarly constructed for the purpose. The shafts ofthe several driving mechanisms are suspended from the reciprocatingring-rail, each by a bearing at its upper end, so that the shafts willrise and fall with the ring, and fixed bearings are provided for thelower ends of said shafts, the latter sliding through the bearings.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe subjoined speciflcation and particularly pointed out in thefollowing claims.

Figure 1 is a top or plan View of a portion of a spinning apparatusembodying one form of my invention, the view being taken above thering-rail. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View on the line 2 2, Fig.1, looking toward the left; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3,Fig. 1, through one of the rings and its holder.

The spindle-rail 1, having fixed bearings 2 for spindles 3, adapted tosupport and rotate yarn receivers or bobbins l, may be and are all ofusual or Well-known construction, the series of spindles passing throughopenings 5 in the ring-rail 6, said openings being of sufficientdiameter to receive the rings and ringholders to be described.

I have herein shown a well-known form of rings 7, having upper and lowerflanges, the travelers 8 cooperating with the upper flange, while thelower flange rests upon a laterallyextended annular seat 9 on thering-holder 10.

The ring-holder 10 is conveniently made as a casting of cylindricalshape with the lateral seat 9 integral therewith and with an upturnedlip 11, which enters the bottom of the ring, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.The rings are snapped or forced upon the holders and held firmly thereonby frictional engagement. The ring-holders are deep enough to projectbelow the ring-rail, and each holder is herein shown as provided with anannularexternal gear 12, the gear of each holder being verticallysupported through a portion of its extent by a segmental holder. Thesegmental holder is made as a trough-like casting, having anattaching-plate 13 secured to the under side of the ring-rail in anysuitable manner. as by screws 14, the main body portion of the holderhaving upper and lower segmental lips 15 and 16, (see Fig. 3,) whichextend inward toward the spindle and receive between them the gear 12.Fig. 3 it will be seen that the lips are wide enough to extend inwardbeyond the bases of the teeth and that there is slight clearance betweenthe holder and the lips, so that slight lateral movement of the holder11 is permitted.

The gear 12 of each holder is engaged on the opposite side of its centerfrom the bearing or vertical support described by the ringdriving gear,herein shown as a large gear 17, (see Fig. 2,) having annular flanges18, which project above and below the teeth of the gear 12 to verticallysupport the latter and also to effect its rotation through cooperationof the gear 17. Said gear is secured to a driving- By reference to shaftprovided with a longitudinal keyway or groove 20 and supported at itsupper end above the gear in a suitable bearing in the ring-rail. I haveherein shown a very convenient bearing consisting of two cooperating andsubstantially hemispherical members 21 22, provided, respectively, withannular ballfaces 21 and 22 (see Fig. 2) for antifrictionballs 23,arranged in two series and separated by an annular flange 24:, fast onthe upper end of the shaft 19. A cap 25, secured to the ringrail, holdsthe bearing in place in a suitable socket made therefor, the shaftdepending through an opening 26 at the bottom of the bearing-socket. Thecap has a hole 25 registering with a duct 100 in the upper member 21 ofthe bearing, through which oil may be conveyed to the interior of saidbearing. A species of ball-and-soeket jointis thus provided which isconvenient in adjusting the driving-spindle with relation to the ringand spindle gears, the lower end of each drivingshaft sliding through abearing in a bracket 27, adjustably secured to the ring-rail by aset-screw 28 passed through a wide and elongated slot 29 in the foot ofthe bracket and screwed into the spindle-rail. The bracket can beadjusted longitudinally of the rail or in and out with relation to thespindles by the single adjusting-screw shown. The bearing portion of thebracket 27 may be out out to form a chamber 30, (see Fig. 2,) adapted tobe filled with oil-soaked packing 31 in order to lubricate the bearing.

Each spindle provided with a gear 32 instead of the usual band-whirl,and the gears of two spindles mesh with a large drivinggear 33, keyed tothe shaft 19 to rotate therewith, but permitting said shaft to slidethrough the gear. The latter has an attached whirl 34:, around which thedriving-band 35 passes, said band being driven from a cylinder or drumof usual construction and not herein shown.

The band-pull is usually suflicient to vertically support thedriving-gear; but to overcome the effect of any sticking between thegear and the driving-shaft I have shown the driving gear as providedwith upper and lower flanges 36, which extend slightly beyond the teethand receive between them the spindle-gears 82.

In a construction of the character herein shown, where the power istransmitted through gears, it is necessary to provide bearings to retainthe driving-shaft in a constant position relative to the axis ofrotation of the spindles in order that the pitch-lines of the gears maynot be thrown out of their proper positions. For this reason the lowerbearing-bracket 27 is provided, its sole duty being to prevent lateralmovement of the driving-shaft, while the end thrust and vertical supportof the driving-shaft is taken care of by the bearing at the shaft-head.Any other form of shaft-head bearing may be employed instead of the oneherein shown and described.

By proportioning the ring and spindle driving gears and the gears on thering-holders and spindles it will be manifest that the rings may berevolved at a speed having any desired ratio to the spindle speed. InFig. 1 I have only shown a portion of the teeth of the gears 12 in orderto avoid undue confusion of the drawing. Inasmuch as the driving-shaftshave no lateral movement, it will be manifest that neither the ring northe spindle is affected in any way by variations in the pull of the drivin g-band.

M y invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement herein shown and described, as various details may bechanged or modified in different particulars without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In spinning apparatus, a rotatable spindle having an attached gear, arevolving ring, a gear connected therewith, a ring-rail, a rotatabledriving-shaft movable therewith and having an attached ring-drivinggear, a spindle-driving gear, and means to connect it with the shaft torotate therewith while permitting the shaft to slide through the gear.

2. In spinning apparatus, a rotatable spindle, a revolving ring, aring-rail, a rotating d riving-shaft depending therefrom, andindependent trains of gearing between said shaft and the ring andspindle, respectively, to drive said ring and spindle.

3. In spinning apparatus, a rotatablespindle, a revolving ring, aring-rail, a rotating driving-shaft depending therefrom, andreciprocating therewith, independent trains of gearing between saidshaft and the ring and spindle, respectively, and an adjustable lateralbearing for and through which the drivingshaft reciprocates.

4:. In spinning apparatus, a rotatable spindle, a revolving ring, aring-rail, a rotating driving-shaft depending therefrom, gearingintermediate the shaft and ring, to rotate the latter, means tovertically support the ring, and independent gearing intermediate thespindle and driving-shaft and slidably connected with the latter.

5. In spinning apparatus, a rotatable spindle, a revolving ring, aring-rail, a rotating driving-shaft depending therefrom, andreciprocating therewith, independent trains of gearing between saidshaft and the ring and spindle respectively, a rocking bearing for theupper end of the driving-shaft, mounted on the ring-rail, and anadjustable lateral bearing for and through which the driving-shaftreciprocates.

6. In spinning apparatus, a rotating spindle, a reciprocating ring-rail,a revolving ring through which the spindle extends, a ringholder havingan annular gear, a driving-shaft having an attached gear in mesh withthe said annular gear, flanges on the driving-gear extended beyond itsteeth and adapted to receive between them the teeth of the annular gear,and a fixed trough-like support for said latter gear, mounted on thering-rail.

7 In spinning apparatus, two rotatable spindles, a revolving ring foreach, a reciprocating ring-rail, a rotating driving-shaft suspendedtherefrom, and gearing between said shaft and the two rings, to efliectpositive revolution thereof.

8. In spinning apparatus, two spindles each having an attached gear, tworevolving rings

